2003 TOYOTA TUNDRA Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA TUNDRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS DIFFERENTIAL FLUID LEAKING FROM THE REAR AXLE HOUSING DUE TO RUST. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER BUT THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THERE WERE NO FAILURES WITH THE REAR AXLE. PICTURES WERE TAKEN OF THE VEHICLE AND SENT TO THE MANUFACTURER BUT THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THAT THERE WERE NO FAILURES SEEN FROM THE PICTURES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PICTURES WERE TAKEN WITH AN EPOXY ON THE AXLE TO HELP SEAL THE LEAK SO THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO SEE THE ACTUAL FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RUST ATE THROUGH THE EPOXY AND THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL CONTINUED TO LEAK. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 72,000. .. UPDATED 08-07-12 *BF. THE CONSUMER THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN REPAIRED. UPDATED 08/08/2012 *JS

I BELIEVE TOYOTA SOLD HUNDREDS, POSSIBLY THOUSANDS OF THIS TYPE VEHICLE TO CUSTOMERS WHO ASKED FOR A LIMITED SLIP DIFFERENTIAL AND PAID A PREMIUM TO GET ONE. MANY TIMES WHEN ON SLIPPERY SURFACES ONE REAR TIRE JUST SPINS WITH NO TRACTION TO THE OTHER. MY WINDOW STICKER SAYS I HAVE LSD AND I DON'T. THE MECHANIC AT DESERT TOYOTA TOLD ME I DIDN'T HAVE A LS WHEN HE CHANGED MY REAR DIF OIL. I COULDN'T BELIEVE WHAT HE TOLD ME, "NO, YOU HAVE A REGULAR DRIVE REAR END." SEVERAL MONTHS PASSED AND I DROVE THE VEHICLE DOWN TO PRECISION TOYOTA WHERE I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE. THEY JUST LOOKED UNDERNEATH THE TRUCK AND SAID I HAD IT. I SAID I DIDN'T. THEY POINTED TO A DECAL AND THAT WAS THEIR PROOF. I ASKED FOR A TEST TO BE APPLIED TO IT TO PROVE IT BUT SAID THEY WERE TO BUSY AND DECLINED TO DO IT THAT DAY. A DAY OR TWO LATER I TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO DESERT TOYOTA WHERE THE MECHANIC WORKED THAT SAID I DID NOT HAVE LSD . WHEN I DESCRIBED MY CONCERNS AND ASKED FOR THE MECHANIC THEY SAID HE WASN'T AVAILABLE AND GAVE ME SOME OTHER GUY. THEY JACKED THE REAR END UP AND TOLD ME WHEN THEY SPIN ONE REAR TIRE IN ONE DIRECTION AND THE OTHER TIRE SPINS IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION THAT PROVES I HAVE LS. BUT THE INFORMATION I GET OFF THE INTERNET AND INDEPENDENT MECHANICS SAYS THE OPPOSITE IS TRUE. . THEY SAY IF I SPIN ONE REAR TIRE IN ONE DIRECTION THE OTHER SHOULD ALSO SPIN IN THE SAME DIRECTION. I BELIEVE TOYOTA COMMITTED FRAUD AND DID NOT GIVE ME WHAT I PAID FOR AND WILL NOT EXCEPT THE TRUE FACTS.THIS REAR ENDS PUTS ME IN DANGEROUS SLIP AND SLIDE RISKS WHEN ON SLIPPERY SURFACES THAT RESULTS IN NO TRACTION. *TR

2003 TOYOTA TUNDRA WITH LOW MILEAGE AND WELL-MAINTAINED BUT EXCESSIVE FRAME RUST THAT WILL EVENTUALLY BECOME UNSTABLE. *TR

ENGINE CHECK LIGHT ON DUE TO SMALL LEAK IN EVAPORATION CONTROL. TOYOTA DEALER INSPECTION DETERMINED LEAKING FILLER TUBE. COST TO REPLACE $350+. HOW MANY OF THESE COMPLAINTS ARE NECESSARY BEFORE THIS IS RECOGNIZED AS A DEFECT? *TR

DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED, THE SPARE TIRE/WHEEL ASSEMBLY (MOUNTED BENEATH THE VEHICLE) FELL WITHOUT WARNING TO THE ROADWAY BELOW. THE TIRE/WHEEL ENDED UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DRIVING LANE, CAUSING NUMEROUS VEHICLES FOLLOWING BEHIND ME TO SWERVE TO AVOID IT. I PULLED OVER TO CONFIRM THE WHEEL WAS FROM MY VEHICLE, AND THIS WAS VERIFIED. I THEN TURNED AROUND TO PICK UP THE WHEEL AND REMOVE IT FROM THE HIGHWAY. I FOUND THE BRACKET STILL IN PLACE IN THE CENTER OF THE WHEEL, HOWEVER IT WAS SEVERELY CORRODED AND HAD NO STRUCTURAL STRENGTH LEFT. THERE WAS NO SIGN OF THE CHAIN OR CABLE THAT HELD THE WHEEL AND BRACKET TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE TRUCK. THIS VEHICLE HAD RECENTLY BEEN TO A TOYOTA DEALER EARLIER IN THE YEAR FOR AN INSPECTION OF THE FRAME (CORROSION RECALL), AS WELL AS FOR REPLACEMENT OF GAS TANK STRAPS (WHICH WERE REPLACED DUE TO CORROSION ISSUES). IT HAD BEEN DETERMINED THAT NO ACTION WAS NEEDED WITH REGARDS TO FRAME CORROSION. THE GAS TANK STRAPS WERE REPLACED. THERE WAS NO COMMENT FROM THE TOYOTA DEALER ON ANY POTENTIAL ISSUES WITH THE SPARE TIRE MOUNTING SYSTEM. *KB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2003 TOYOTA TUNDRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ONE OF THE FUEL STRAPS, WHICH HELD THE FUEL TANK IN PLACE, WAS RUSTED AND CORRODED. AS A RESULT, THE STRAP FRACTURED AND THE FUEL TANK WAS HANGING DOWNWARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THE STRAP WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 126,190.

FRAME AND REAR END BANJO HOUSING ROTTED TO THE POINT WHERE GEAR OIL FROM REAR END LEAKED OUT ONTO THE ROAD. HAD TO HAVE VEHICLE TOWED TO GARAGE TO MAKE TEMPORARY REPAIRS. IN ADDITION, FRAME IS DISINTEGRATED WITH PIECES FALLING TO THE GROUND. TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT GARAGE AND WAS TOLD TO TAKE TRUCK TO TOYOTA AND BOTH THE REAR END ASSEMBLY AND FRAME SHOULD BE REPLACED. GARAGE, STEWART'S OF GEORGETOWN, MA., STATES METAL OF FRAME HAS DETERIORATED TO THE POINT WHERE YOU COULD POKE HOLES IN IT WITH A SCREW DRIVER. FRAME EXAMINED ON AUGUST 6, 2011 AFTER PIECES OF FRAME FOUND UNDER THE TRUCK AFTER LABOR DAY WEEKEND. TRUCK HAS 40,700 MILES ON THE ODOMETER AND USED TO DELIVER AND PICK UP SUPPLIES FOR PROPERTY OWNED. THE CONSUMER TO DATE, HE HAS BEEN UNABLE TO LOCATE A USABLE REAR END ASSEMBLY. THE CONSUMER BELIEVE THE FAILURE WAS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE USE OF REPROCESSED METAL IN THE MANUFACTURING, TOGETHER WITH THE FAILURE TO PROPERLY TREAT EXPOSED METAL PARTS WITH CORROSION RESISTANT COMPOUNDS. THE CONSUMER STATED AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO HIM. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHERE IT WAS NECESSARY TO REPLACE THE OXYGEN SENSOR THAT HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY REPLACED IN AUGUST 2007. UPDATED IVOQ 12/01/11 *TR

1990 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER, 2003 TOYOTA TUNDRA, 1999 TOYOTA SIENNA. CONSUMER STATES RUST AND CORROSION ISSUES WITH ALL THREE VEHICLES *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE TAILGATE HOLDERS ON THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER'S SIDE BROKE DUE TO SEVERE RUST. THE DRIVER'S SIDE TAILGATE FELL ONTO THE TOP BUMPER AND CAUSED DENTS IN THE METAL. *JB

2003 TOYOTA TUNDRA WITH EXCESSIVE FRAME RUST INCLUDING ALL RUSTABLE COMPONENTS WITH ANY CONNECTION TO THE FRAME. 2011 MAINE STATE INSPECTION FAILED DUE TO RUSTED EMERGENCY BRAKE. THE EMERGENCY BRAKE HAD BEEN REPAIRED TWO YEARS PRIOR FOR SAME REASON (JUNE 2009). *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS 2003 TOYOTA TUNDRA. THE CONTACT STATED THEY TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 09V444000 (STRUCTURE: FRAME AND MEMBERS: UNDERBODY SHIELDS) REPAIR TO BE PERFORMED. THE DEALER MOVED A HAMMER ALONG THE FRAME AND RULED THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE FRAME. THE CONTACT STATED THE TEST WAS NOT ADEQUATE SINCE THE DEALER ONLY SCRAPED A HAMMER ALONG THE EDGE OF THE FRAME. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH THE MANUFACTURER WAS ADVISED THAT WAS THE PROPER PROCEDURE. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT THE TEST WAS NOT SUFFICIENT AS WELL AS THE VEHICLE BEING A SAFETY RISK. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN, BUT THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 160,000.